The first shoe has dropped for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He traded third-line center Nick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche. And they were able to snag that ever-elusive first-round pick.
In return, the Leafs received a conditional first-round pick in 2027 (top 10 protected) and a fifth-round pick in 2026. If the 2027 selection falls in the top 10, Colorado will instead send a 2028 first-round pick—unsecured—to Toronto. The Leafs don't have a first-rounder in this year's draft, and before this deal they didn't have one in '27 either.
The Avs were looking for a third-line pivot who would bring some size and physicality, and they found that with Roy. It was also thought that Colorado was considering another Leafs trade candidate, pending UFA Scott Laughton.
Roy still has one more year remaining on his $3 million cap hit deal. \
The 6’4″, 200-pounder is a big-bodied, two-way center, but brings a strong defensive presence as his first priority.
more to come…
